Civil War Aftermath
by gunman
Summary: A conversation between General Ross and a mysterious individual leads to a startling revelation. Might continue this, might not. Just something else that has been on my mind for a while. In anticipation for the new Captain America movie.
1. Cruel Reality

_**CIVIL WAR AFTERMATH**  
_ by Gunman

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Summary: A conversation between General Ross and a mysterious individual leads to a startling revelation.

Authors Notes: This is my interpretation on how things might go in the aftermath of Civil War between Captain America and Iron Man. This is based on the comics and how the direction of the movies thus far have gone.

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SLAP!

General Ross just reeled as the impact hit him.

He had no idea where he was or what had happened to him. He looked around, seeing that he was not in his home or office. He was tied to a chair with a man wearing a strange green outfit, and a mask, standing over him.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Ross asked the man.

"I just wanted to thank you, general. It helps when you are actually awake." the man said.

"Thank me? For what?"

"For helping to create... a better world."

Ross just grimaced as he said that.

Within the last 36 hours, the world had gone to hell.

The United Nations Headquarters, with over 180 international ambassadors, had been blown up by an unknown force.

The White House was attacked and the President was in hiding. Safe, but in hiding.

Two major military bases had been wiped out by an unknown orbiting laser satellite system.

And several groups, each with their own superhuman and even Inhuman contingent, were being reported all over the world.

"The United States won't be intimidated by your actions." Ross said, defiantly.

"Intimidated? You make it sound like I'm trying to hurt you and America. That's foolish. Why would I want to hurt my greatest allies?" the man said.

"Greatest allies? What are you talking about?" Ross spat.

"Many years ago, HYDRA easily and successfully infiltrated SHIELD. They corrupted and subverted the very agency created to stop threats like us. And all because they were invited by your politicians. They gave HYDRA a second chance to reclaim our destiny. And once again, the politicians have served us well." the man said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ross replied.

"Oh? You really don't know? I was talking about the Sokovia Accords."

"That document was meant to give accountability to peoples with incredible powers and abilities. To keep them from roaming free and doing whatever they felt like. It reassures the public that they are safe."

"Safe? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the man laughed. "Yes, I'm sure that's what you tell yourselves and the public. But the truth of the matter is that you are scared, powerless children, and you don't like that. You don't like feeling weak, while letting other people do incredible and amazing things, as you are left behind to deal with the clean up. You truly don't realize what you have done, general. When you take away someones freedom, you limit what they can do. You essentially wanted to put chains and collars on those you are superior to yourselves. And you start with The Avengers, the only ones who could have stopped peoples like me."

Ross seemed to regard that statement. But again, it sounded like this guy was just rambling on.

"You and your political associates have done wonders for HYDRA. I'm sure we could find a place for you in our growing new world order."

"Me? Join you? Never!" Ross spat again.

"Why not? HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with it's own freedom. Because freedom, while it might seem like a double-edged sword, is power. To go wherever you want, do whatever you want, take whatever you want. To BE whomever you want. That is the true strength behind organizations like HYDRA and the Avengers. No limitations. And rather than trying to stop us, you try to stop your own allies. Your heroes. The Avengers are heroes, because without them, the world would have been conquered by maniacal gods and alien invaders. It would have been forced under the heel of HYDRA itself. Or simply wiped out by autonomous monsters. And how do you choose to reward these heroes? You make them weak. You and your ilk, have helped us to achieve the very thing we wanted. A world without heroes. Without The Avengers. Whom, if I am not mistaken, are now fugitives."

Ross couldn't answer that.

"America has become the very thing that the Nazis tried so hard to become. An Empire with total control of it's population, and in turn, the world."

"America is nothing like that!" Ross shouted.

"Oh really? Turn on your television, general, and you'll see what I am talking about. Regulations, rules, laws. All created by people in power in order to make the population bend to their will. And those people can be bought, easily enough. Bigotry, racism, prejudice and intolerance run rampant in a country said to be great, and your government does nothing about it. Washington DC is a popular joke on Facebook. Your leaders are mocked, while Hollywood celebrities are idolized. Every city in America has crime and poverty. Apathy runs rampant. Your precious country infiltrated by so many unfriendly powers that you and your government force sanctions and limits on every mode of travel imaginable, even to that of your own people. No one is exempt, because you don't know who is the real guilty party. It is a country built on the blood, sweat and tears of immigrants and slaves, centuries before the Nazis came to power. The country is rotted from the inside out, and you stand upon it like it's a pedestal made of gold. And to ensure you don't get toppled from that pedestal, you forcefully impose regulations upon those who are superior to yourselves, those who are different, because you are sick and tired of others being better than you."

"That still doesn't make your statements about America being the new Third Reich true." Ross said.

"Oh, do not worry. In time, your country will see that the old Nazi way of doing things, was right. And HYDRA will rule this world, as it should. All we need to be... is patient."

It was then that Ross looked behind the man, and gasped when he noticed several things.

Captain America's shield, the Falcons wings, and a certain metal arm, hanging on the back wall. Like spoils of war.

"Do you like my trophy room? I decorated it myself." the man said.

"That shield. Those wings. The arm." Ross said.

"Yes. Difficult to get away from The Captain and his allies, but not from the government." the man said again.

"No... how... how did you...?"

"A payoff here, a bribe there, a little blackmail here. I'm looking to add The Black Panthers suit, War Machines armor, The Hawks bow and arrows, and The Black Widows own weapons. I might even have Iron Man's suit and the hammer of Thor put up here. Wouldn't that be just wonderful?"

"You're insane." Ross stated.

"It's a mad world we live in. A world where the powerful are meant to rule. And to be powerful, you must not have limits. Limits... like your precious Sokovia Accords."

"This is about the Accords?" Ross asked.

"No. Your Accords were very useful to us. You have pushed apart the only ones who could have stopped us. Isolated them, made them weak. And in their weakness, we grow strong!" he said.

Ross hung his head, feeling the heavy weight of his actions upon him.

He had believed that what he was doing was the right thing. But this man had a point. In the past couple of years, he and those like him had been taken a back seat to people like Stark and Rogers. People with godly power, skills and weapons superior to anyone else. The military, the government, they were all weak and powerless. And they didn't like it.

Despite how it was worded, despite it's official intentions, The Sokovia Accords were nothing but a means to exert their will over those who were stronger than themselves.

A petty means of controlling people with power.

The Avengers were all but disbanded, some even on the run. People with power and advanced tech were roaming free and unchecked, a clear threat to people like Ross. The world was filling up with people who couldn't be matched by ordinary people like Ross and his kind.

And their latest reports had confirmed that HYDRA not only had access to advanced technology and weapons, but also they had access to the same super-soldier serum that had created Captain America.

A grim thought, that.

The United States had been spending so much time and effort to recreate the super-soldier project since WWII, and had failed time and time again. Ross's own attempt to create one, using a battle maniac like Emil Blonsky of all people, had backfired tremendously.

He knew that the Captain's faith had been broken in recent years. Steve Rogers loved his country, but now... it was a country he couldn't fight for anymore, because it had basically betrayed him.

He also knew that while Tony Stark supported the Accords, his faith in doing the right thing had also been shattered because of what had happened between him and Rogers. Plus he knew that he would never give the government his tech again.

The US didn't have an army of super soldiers, a battalion of armored warriors, and people with super powers weren't exactly lining up to enlist in the military and serve their country. Not with the way the public was condemning them as freaks and such.

It actually made the general cringe at how weak and powerless he and his own really were.

"But take heart, general. A better world is coming." the man said as he nodded to someone behind him.

Ross then felt someone cover his face with a rag, and the smell of chloroform carried him to dream land.

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Authors Notes:

This is something I've actually wanted to say for a while.

This isn't meant to be light-hearted or to give a happy ending to some of my favorite genres or movies or characters. The direction of the most recent movies is obvious to me. It's heading down a darker path than what we want.

And that's understandable.

So many of the best movies you watch are filled with overwhelming danger and darkness and it's such an incredible feeling to watch heroes overcome that, when the odds are stacked against them a thousand or a million to one.

Especially in the comics, it's like the bad guys are going to win, and the good guys fall trying to stop them.

This isn't just me rambling on and on about the problems in the world and no one does anything about it. This is me just trying to get the darkness off my chest that I feel has taken over so many of my favorite movies and such.

People love drama, and what's more dramatic than the bad guys about to win?

Thor The Dark World: Loki is on the throne and Odin is missing.  
Ant Man: The Yellowjacket serum was taken by that Mitchell Carson guy, so it's still out there.  
Captain America The Winter Soldier: SHIELD is gone, HYDRA might still exist in some way.  
Avengers Age of Ultron: Thanos has the Gauntlet and knows where four of the six Infinity Stones are. Maybe the other two as well, we don't know.

It's like the bad guys are being given a chance to succeed.

You can see it coming. So much devastation, so much loss, and in the end, the heroes have only the slightest idea of what is to come and no prep time to stop it.

But please... feedback is welcome. Please read and review.


	2. Steve And Tony A Dark Side

_**STEVE AND TONY: A DARK SIDE**_  
by Gunman

Disclaimer: I do now own Avengers Age of Ultron or their characters.

Summary: A slightly different conversation between Steve and Tony while at the Bartons farm.

Authors Notes: This is something that has been bugging me for a while. What if Steve had told Tony the truth about Bucky, would the altercations in Civil War have happened?

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(Hawkeye Safehouse, Barton Farm)

"Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked as he continued to cut wood.

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things. I was kinda hoping Thor would be the exception." Steve said as he piled up another couple logs to be cut.

"Yeah, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him." Tony said.

"Earths mightiest heroes. Pulled us apart like cotton candy." Steve scoffed.

"Seems like you walked away alright." Tony stated.

"Is that a problem?" Steve asked.

"I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old-fashioned." Tony replied.

"Dark side." Steve muttered to himself. "You want dark? Alright." he said with a sigh, pausing just for a bit. "Howard Stark was murdered."

Tony froze at hearing those words. He balked a little as he looked at Steve.

"What?" he asked.

"Howard was killed by a HYDRA assassin called The Winter Soldier. We met, when he shot Fury, and nearly killed me. This was right before we exposed HYDRA to the world and took down SHIELD. He disappeared right after that. Sam and I have been trying to find him, without much luck." Steve explained.

Tony seemed a little shaken by this revelation.

"And... you didn't tell me this sooner because..." Tony stuttered a bit.

"He's my friend." Steve said.

"What?" Tony balked again.

"His name is James Buchanan Barnes. He was like a brother to me." he said.

"Barnes? That's your Howling Commando buddy who died during the war." Tony said, getting Steve to look slightly confused. "I've been to your exhibit."

Steve nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Jealous?" Steve joked.

"Please! My merchandise is still selling more than yours." Tony smirked. "Go on."

"We thought he was dead. I thought he was dead. Bucky's unit had been captured back in '43. They experimented on him, it helped him survive falling off that train when we went to capture Arnim Zola. HYDRA found him after that, surgically altered and brainwashed him into becoming an assassin. They'd freeze him until they needed him, thaw him out to do their dirty work, and then they'd put him back on ice until later."

"Sounds like you have something in common." Tony joked again.

"When we first met, he didn't recognize me. He didn't even remember his own name. I thought I could reach him, but... HYDRA messed him up. Badly." Steve said, his voice heavy with... regret?

Tony just looked at Steve, astonished.

"So there it is. That's my dark secret." Steve said.

"And you didn't tell me this earlier because...?" Tony asked.

"Because it's personal to me, and because we couldn't find him." he answered.

"We?" he asked.

"Sam Wilson. 58th Pararescue. He helped us take down SHIELD and HYDRA, and he's been helping me out ever since, trying to track Bucky down. So far, nothing but cold leads." Steve explained.

"I see." Tony said with a pensive sigh. "So let me get this straight: the man who killed my father... Howard Stark... is an old friend of yours... James Barnes... who was brainwashed into being a HYDRA assassin... he's been active as an assassin since WWII... and probably doesn't remember anything about his old life... including you. And you're trying to help him, and didn't tell me about it. That about it?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." Steve replied.

"Really? Nothing else?" Tony asked, probing deep as he could.

"He tried to kill me, Fury, Natasha, bunch of others. He's got a metal left arm, it's either mechanical or cybernetic. He's been credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last 50 years. Almost no one believes he exists. And he's a hell of a sniper." Steve added.

"Wow, good to know." Tony quipped.

"HYDRA messed with his mind, Tony. That's the important part. He didn't kill those people of his own free will." Steve stated.

"Yeah. That's... pretty dark, isn't it?" Tony added.

"About as dark as it gets, I guess."

"So... a metal arm, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Any idea what it's made of?"

"I didn't have time to ask him while he was punching me in the face with it."

"Huh. Wish I could have seen that." Tony laughed as he split another chord of wood. "Though... I have to admit, that's pretty dark. So... congrats, Cap. You're officially amongst the human race."

"Um, Mister Stark? Clint said you wouldn't mind, but... our tractor isn't working right now. Would you mind taking a look at it?" Laura asked.

"Sure thing." Tony said to the pregnant Barton. "Don't take from my pile." he said to Steve as he walked off.

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Authors Notes:

Pretty short, I know, but it was just a small conversation that might have made a big difference in the coming Civil War movie. What do you think?


	3. Iron Man Played

_**IRON MAN PLAYED**_  
by Gunman

Disclaimer: I do not own Captain America Civil War or their characters.

Summary: Tony finds out a disturbing truth.

This is just a little idea I came up with, when I was looking up information about Charlie Spencer and Miriam Sharpe from the Captain America Civil War movie. Tell me this doesn't seem possible.

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(The Raft)

"Sir, we have an incoming." The guard said.

"Who is it?" Secretary Ross asked.

"It's Iron Man, sir. And he has someone with him."

"Open the doors." Ross said.

The guard activated the Raft main door. The Raft 'tower' raised up out of the Ocean. Once it had broken the surface, the main portal opened up, the two large vault-like doors parted, allowing entrance to the Ultra SuperMax Prison.

Ross walked out to the landing platform, just as Iron Man landed... with an African-American teenage boy, dressed in a blue jacket, blue jeans, backpack and white tennis shoes.

"Stark! What are you... who is this?" Ross balked when he saw the boy.

"Hope you don't mind me bringing a guest, Mr. Secretary. I'm sure you recognize him." Tony said through his armor.

Ross, at seeing Charlie, realized where Stark was going with this. He remained silent.

"If you don't, let me introduce you. This is Charlie Sharpe, also known as Charlie Spencer, son of Miriam Spencer, also known as Miriam Sharpe of the State Department, who came to visit me in regards to her dead son just before you paid The Avengers a visit to present us with the Sokovia Accord. He just received a scholarship to a prestigious college for engineering. Strange, considering he was declared **dead** in Sokovia about a year ago. Or, actually, Charlie Sharpe was. Confused?"

Ross continued to remain silent.

"Seems that there was an African-American killed in Sokovia, by the name of Damian Sharpe. No relation to Miriam that I could find, and believe me I looked, and no chance he was her son, since he was 46 at the time of his death. He did actually die in Sokovia, but he was a widower who was just traveling around. Backpacking. Wrong place, wrong time. Amazingly, no one officially claimed the body, yet it was sent back to the US, in the diplomatic bag. State Department signed the order. Funny, huh?"

"Yeah. Funny." Ross said, keeping himself as straight as poised as possible. "How did you find out?"

"There I was, sitting in my office at Avengers Compound, going over so many piles of data, and even looking at the photograph of Charlie Spencer, again, when Friday brought to my attention a very interesting video, of a young man, fitting the exact same description of Charlie, getting a grant approved from the September Foundation, which I funded through MIT, and... imagine my surprise."

Ross was starting to get nervous now.

"So, being curious about it, I did a little digging. Those DoD Firewalls you have are really weak. Hammer sell them to you? Anyway, after about three hours worth of digging and analyzing, I was able to uncover a very shocking secret. You had Miriam Sharpe, who works for the State Department, IE You, lie to me about her son's death, who never actually died. And the only reason I could think that you would do this, would be to force me into getting onboard with the Sokovia Accord. Right? Am I Right?!" he shouted the last part.

Ross sighed as he looked at Stark.

"It was necessary, Stark. The U.N. wanted more drastic action taken after the Lagos Incident. The Avengers were roaming around uncontrolled, unchecked, going about doing whatever they wanted, wherever they wanted. They were a potential threat and had to be put in check." Ross stated.

"You mean to put us under your thumb. That's what this whole thing was about, wasn't it?" Stark asked.

"We couldn't force you or them to sign the Accords. It would have been a conflict we couldn't have won. Enhanced people, advanced weapons, not to mention special skills. You were too strong. But if you were... emotionally compromised... over what happened, then, maybe..."

"You falsified Charlie Spencer's records, replaced them with Damian Sharpe's, and probably gave Damian a nice quiet burial somewhere. At least I hope so. Would have been the decent thing to do." Tony snarked at the man.

"The decent thing to do was to control those people with enhanced abilities, skills and weapons. Any other option, would have resulted in a war."

"It was a war, Mr. Secretary. A war against my friends and teammates. A war that didn't have to be fought. Zemo played us pretty good, but you started it." Tony said.

"No, you started it. You and the Avengers, going anywhere you wanted and doing whatever you wanted. You answer to no one, and that makes people nervous. Scared. To the point that they might consider you to be a threat. To them. Freedom is not a luxury we can afford to give to people with enhanced abilities. Don't you see that?" Ross asked.

"I did see. Guilt, made me see it from that perspective. But now I see that guilt being used against me in the worst possible way. And... I don't like it." Tony stated. "I don't like being played, Mr. Secretary. Like a two-bit fiddle. Like a wind-up tin soldier doing exactly what you wanted, and it I didn't..." he said, then paused, cocking his head to the side for a second. "Or was that the point? Either the Avengers fall in line like good little soldiers, or they get locked up like criminals? You were prepared for either, right?"

"Of course. And you helped."

"Yeah. Because I was manipulated, coerced, and played. I mean, I have to give you credit for such an elaborate ruse. But... when people who are so played realize they have been played... do you know what they do?" Tony asked.

"Nothing rash. I hope." Ross said to the man.

"You have no hope. I'm done. I want nothing to do with you or the Accords." he said turning to leave.

"You can't do that, Stark. You signed the Accords, along with the others." Ross shouted at him.

"Yeah, because you tricked me into doing it. That clearly constitutes coercion, in which case, I don't have to honor said agreement." Tony snapped back.

"You have no actual proof of that." Ross stated.

"Actually, I do." Tony said looking at Charlie. "I brought Charlie here to emphasis that I know that truth. How you're gonna explain this to his mother, I don't know. But... considering she works for you, it might not be a big deal. And, of course, there is the other bit of... confessional evidence."

Ross suddenly realized what he was talking about.

"You've been recording this whole conversation." Ross stated.

"The benefits of technology." Stark said, tapping the side of his helmet.

Tony turned to the boy.

"Oh, kid. Good luck with your adventurers in engineering, and if you need an extra grant, come see you. And tell your mom, if I ever see her again... I'm gonna shoot her."

Charlie and Ross watched as Iron Man flew out of the Raft's ceiling, before looking at each other.

"Uh... could I get a ride home?" Charlie asked.

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Authors Notes:

When I was thinking about that scene between Rodney Downey Jr. and Alfre Woodard, it was a good scene and gave weight to the real implications of what can happen in the Marvel universe where super-hero and super-villain fights lead to collateral damage. Innocent people can and do get hurt. But I had another thought. 'What if it was a set up to getting the Accords signed by all the Avengers?'

Manipulations and trickery are often the means, when you can't take down a group as powerful as The Avengers. You can't outmuscle them, so you trick them. Like Loki tried to do. Like Zemo did.

I mean, you only saw Miriam Sharpe in the movie, accusing Stark of killing her son with the Avengers fight in Sokovia. You never saw her after that, never say anything else of the boy in question. Tony was feeling guilty enough because he created Ultron, and now... there's a new wrinkle. Something else to give weight to Tony's already guilty consequence.

What if that's what Ross and the UN wanted? To either control the Avengers or give them a reason to lock them up?

Seems perfectly reasonable to anyone who has read the comics. Always someone behind the scenes trying to manipulate or control things.

Anyway, this is just another idea I had after watching Captain America Civil War. Hope you like it.


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